Pitt
Marquette
Women's Volleyball Wins Big East Opener
9/26/2009 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Sept. 26, 2009
PITTSBURGH—The Pitt women’s volleyball team opened its Big East schedule with a victory, as the Panthers earned a shutout, 3-0, win over Marquette, this afternoon, at Fitzgerald Field House. The Panthers won with scores of 25-23, 25-15 and 25-19, improving to 9-6 on the year.
Pitt posted a season-best .400 hitting percentage and 49 kills. Reigning Big East Player of the Week, senior Meagan Dooley recorded 14 kills and three blocks in the match. Junior Amy Town chipped in 13 kills, while senior Melissa Stadelman added 10 kills and a match-high .625 hitting percentage.
As a team, Pitt out-blocked Marquette 14-2 and held the Golden Eagles to just .187 hitting. On the block, junior Imani Harper made eight stuffs, while Stadelman collected a career-high six blocks.
The Panthers and Golden Eagles were tied at 16 in the third set, when Head Coach Toby Rens called a timeout. Pitt came out of the break and responded with an immediate side out as Town recorded a kill. Dooley and sophomore setter Allyson Hodnik then stuffed a Marquette attack, before Dooley collected two more kills to give the Panthers a 20-16 lead.
Pitt would later take the match with a 25-19 third set, off a kill from sophomore Rachel Kalberer.
The match started with the Panthers trailing in the first set. However, Pitt tied the score at 18 with a block assist from Dooley and Hodnik. Later, Town gave the Panthers a 22-21 lead when she recorded a kill from back row, after Stadelman ran down the ball and put it in play.
The Panthers would win three of the next five points, earning a 25-23 victory. Dooley led the squad with five kills, while Harper made three blocks in the set.
In the second set, Pitt opened with a 5-1 lead, which included a Stadelman ace. Stadelman would later record a kill and force a Marquette timeout, pushing ahead 11-5. Stadelman then recorded a solo block, lifting the Panthers to a 20-11 advantage in the game. She was a perfect 3-for-3 on the attack, adding four digs and one block in the game.
Town tied a set high with five kills in the second contest, posting a game-high .625 hitting percentage.
Senior Michelle Rossi tied a match-high 12 digs, while Town recorded a double-double with 10 digs. Additionally, junior Brittany Fallis earned the start in the match, collecting four digs.
Pitt hosts Syracuse at 2 p.m. on Sunday, at Fitzgerald Field House.
